American Airlines CEO Doug Parker said Wednesday that the company is working on a long-term solution to thousands of employee complaints about the carrier's new uniforms rolled out in September.

"We're still working through it to make sure we have a long-term solution," Parker said. "We don't think the right long-term solution is having flight attendants in different uniforms."

Parker acknowledged "people not feeling safe in it," during the company's annual shareholder meeting Wednesday, when a retired flight attendant raised the uniform issue during a question-and-answer session.

"I'm begging you, Doug, on behalf of all these sick flight attendants and pilots, please do a total recall of this uniform," said the woman, who identified herself as Mary McKenna. "These are your people; please take care of your people."

Employees started reporting issues including rashes, hives, headaches and trouble breathing within days of the uniforms being distributed to about 70,000 frontline workers last year. Since then, thousands of employees have reported reactions, with the majority coming from flight attendants.

According to their union, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, 3,470 members have reported issues. American employs more than 24,000 flight attendants.

A spokesman for American's pilots union, which represents 15,000 employees, said it had received about 600 complaints.

American has offered non-wool and all-cotton versions of the uniform, which is manufactured by Twin Hill, and also is letting employees wear look-alike uniforms with pieces of clothing bought off the rack. In March, the company announced a fourth version of the uniform made by a new manufacturer, Aramark.

But so far, American has resisted requests from employee unions to issue a total recall of the uniforms.

"We believe we've done everything we can to this point, but we're not done because as you know, we still haven't gotten to a point where everyone on the team feels comfortable," Parker said.

Tests conducted by American and Twin Hill have found that chemical levels in the uniform were all within acceptable ranges. A test conducted by the union on uniform samples found cadmium in a short-sleeve jacket piece at levels above the international standard. But the union cautioned "variations in levels and chemicals in each individual garment can occur."

"It is very important to not place too much emphasis on the concentration of any single chemical found in the testing to date," the union said in a February message.

Parker said there's "more to come" from American, but he didn't have "anything I can really announce just yet."

Talks between the flight attendants union and American for a round of joint testing on the garments broke down in May, according to the union. In a May 5 message to employees, the union said it couldn't reach an agreement with American on how the tests would be conducted and how the results would be interpreted.

A spokesman said Wednesday that the union continues to conduct its own tests on the uniforms.